Annie to the Rescue
by Writing4ever4God
Summary: What happens when Alex and another girl switch bodies right before Annie leaves for MIT?  Will Annie be able to figure it out and get her sister back before it's too late?  R/R
1. Chapter 1

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TSWOAM. They belong to Ken Lipman. I do however own anyone you don't recognize.

God loves you!  
Enjoy!

A/N: I Got the inspiration to write this story out a few weeks ago! I Hope everyone likes it!

"Annie to the Rescue"

Chapter 1

I could see sunlight streaming into the window as I opened my brown eyes slowly.

As I did so, I heard a familiar voice calling my name. In fact, the voice was very familiar.

But as I heard the voice again, I Realized the owner of it wasn't' calling my name at all.

"Alex?" Alex, you need to get up."

I rolled over, not sure where I was at the moment.

"Alex, come on." The voice said again. "You're going to be late."

Opening my eyes all the way, I found myself staring into an identical set of brown ones.

"Annie?" I asked.

"yeah." She replied.

Without warning, I threw my arms around her neck for a hug.

She gave me a strange look, but hugged back.

"Alex, I'm not leaving for MIT for another two months." She said, before pulling away. "You're stuck with me."

"I wish you didn't have to go." I said softly.

"I know. But you're gonna be fine. I'll call you and there's always e-mail."

I nodded as I tried to fight back tears.

Getting up off the bed, I stopped when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I turned around to see Annie staring at me in concern.

"Come here." She said.

I obliged without a second thought.

As we embraced once again, I tried to clear my head as I felt Annie start to stroke my hair.

I knew I wasn't at home, but I still felt safe. I felt safer than I had the night before and I wanted to keep it that way.

As we pulled away, there was a knock at the door.

"Girls?"

I recognized the voice as Mrs. Mack.

Even though I knew she was nice, I moved closer to Annie out of wanting to be protected due to what I had been through at the hands of my own mother.

"Alex, it's okay." She assured me.

I nodded, even though I was feeling less than okay at the moment.

"Can I come in?" Barbara asked.

As Annie was about to answer, I Felt a hot flush creep up my body.

"Alex!" Annie hissed. "What's going on?"

I shrugged. I knew exactly what was going on, but I didn't know how to explain it.

"We'll be out in a minute!" Annie called back.

"Okay." Mrs. Mack replied. With that, she was gone.

I sighed with relief when I felt the golden glow subsiding a little.

"Okay, start talking fast." Annie ordered.

I didn't' let her stern tone bother me. In fact, I welcomed it. I knew she was just trying to help and she was also worried about me.

"I don't know what happened." I tried to lie.

"Alex, don't give me that. You never start glowing when Mom and Dad have knocked on the door before."

She studied me closely, her brow creased in concern.

"Are you feeling okay?" She finally asked. "Maybe there's something new going on with your powers. Maybe you should stay home so I can run some tests…"

I let her ramble for a few more minutes before assuring her I was fine.

How I wanted to stay home to spend time with her, but I knew I would see her when I got home.

Home. That word in reference to where I was now felt strange, but at the same time somehow it felt right.

"Alex, if something was wrong, you would tell me, right?" Annie asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah. Of course." I said earnestly.

Just then, Mr. Mack's voice floated up the stairs.

"Alex, Ray's here!"

"Okay!" I called back. "I'll be right there."

As I went to leave the room, Annie pulled me back.

"What?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"Be careful." She warned.

I couldn't help but smile. I didn't' mind Annie telling me to be careful.

"Thank you." I said softly before leaving the room.

Annie gave me a funny look, but she didn't' say anything.

Getting downstairs, I said good-bye to Mr. Mack as I opened the door and met Ray on the lawn.

"Hey Al!" Ray greeted.

"Hey." I replied. I was safe with Ray and I Knew it. I had watched enough of the show to keep my secret for a little while longer.

"I heard about Annie leaving for MIT." He said as we walked to pick Louis up.

"Do you mind if we talk about something else?" I asked, trying to sound normal.

"I'll bet you can't wait to have the room to yourself."

"Not really." I said honestly.

"And you won't have to worry about giving up your free time so she can test your powers anymore. Al, are you okay?"

"Yeah." I replied as I Tried to fight back tears.

"Can we please talk about something else?" I asked.

"Okay." Ray said.

"Thanks."

Truth was, I wouldn't miss the testing of course, but I was gonna miss the time with Annie.

I knew Alex would too.

As this thought crossed my mind, I realized that it was the first time I Thought of her.

Despite the fact that I knew I really wasn't her, I hoped she was okay wherever she was.

"Hey Mack!" Louis greeted as he joined us. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." I replied.

"So I hear Annie's out of here come August." He said before either Ray or I could stop him.

Feeling frustrated that both of my friends weren't getting it, I heaved a sigh.

"Do you have to mention that?"

"I thought you would be on the moon about it." Louis said, frowning in confusion.

"Well you thought wrong." I replied testily.

"Alex, are you sure you're okay?" Ray asked. "You didn't switch bodies with anyone again, did you?"

Caught off guard by his question, it took me a second to answer.

"No. What are you talking about?"

I realized too late that I had said the wrong thing.

Ray gave me a look, but thankfully he didn't say anything else about it.

Fortunately, I was able to find my way around the school without any problems.

It didn't hurt that I now had perfect vision.

As this thought spun around my head, I gasped. If I had normal vision, that meant wherever Alex was, she may not. I Prayed she would be okay until we could switch back.

It wasn't until lunch that things started going downhill.

As I ate the last of the breakfast biscuit and hash browns, Robyn sat down next to us.

She smiled at me and I smiled back. I thanked God that Nicole wasn't there. It wasn't that I didn't like her, but I knew if she was that she would figure out what was going on.

"Hey Alex." Robyn said as she pulled out a napkin and opened it.

Inside were two brownies.

"Hey." I replied. "What's up?"

"Not much. Do you want one of my brownies I Brought?"

"What kind are they?" I asked cautiously as the events of "Truth Trap" started flashing in my mind. If those brownies were the same ones Robyn had made for the baking contest, I was going to do everything I could to see they didn't' pass my lips without hurting her feelings.

"I made anew batch of my Wowy Zowy brownies." She replied. "So do you want one?"

"Uh do you mind if I don't have one?" I asked carefully. "I'm kind of stuffed from lunch."

"Hey Al!" Ray said as he passed me what looked to be a peanut butter and chocolate cupcake. "Want one?"

"Sure!" I said before I could stop myself.

Seeing the hurt look that flashed across Robyn's face, I tried to amend my statement.

"I'll safe it for free period." I said.

Ray gave me a look, but handed over the cake anyway.

I put the cake in the container the hash browns had come in and closed it up.

Slipping it into my back pack, I glanced up to see Robyn frowning at me.

Feeling bad for her, I held my hand out.

"I'm sorry, Robyn. Actually, I will have one."

"You will?" Robyn asked, relief in her eyes.

"You will?" Ray echoed. The only difference was, his tone was surprising and a little nervous.

"Yeah." I said, wanting Robyn to feel better. I Hated hurting anyone's feelings. I knew Alex would have done the same thing.

"Do you really mean it?" Robyn asked.

"yeah." I replied. "In fact, I'm a little hungry after all." With that, I Took a small bite of the brownie.

Almost immediately, I felt a slight shiver and the dizziness that came with it.

I knew I had to get out of there before anyone noticed. I Knew I couldn't' stay there now. I also had a feeling Annie would be furious when she found out what I had done.

"Alex!" Ray shouted in alarm.

"I know, I know!" I hissed. "I'll see you later, okay." Without waiting for a reply, I jumped up from the table and dashed out of the cafeteria…


	2. Chapter 2

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TSWOAM. They belong to Ken Lipman. I do however own anyone you don't recognize.

God loves you!  
Enjoy!

A/N: Here we go with chapter 2! I'm sorry it took me so long to update it.

"Annie to the Rescue"

Chapter 2

"You did what!" Annie exclaimed in disbelief as she tucked the covers around me twenty-minutes later. "Alex, you know what horse radish does to you. Why would you do something so careless?"

"I didn't want Robyn to feel bad," I said weakly.

Annie shook her head.

"You could have taken the brownie and then thrown it out later. Did you ever think of that?"

"Annie, please!" I pleaded, "Not so loud. My head is pounding!"

"That's your fault, isn't it?" She retorted. She held a stern gaze for about a minute before giving in. She came over and sat on the edge of my bed. Reaching out a hand, she ran it through my hair. "I'm not angry at you, my Al," she assured me, "I just don't understand why you did that. You know better."

"I know," I said softly. "I'm sorry."

"I know you were just trying to help Robyn. Hopefully it won't last as long as it did the first two times it happened," she said. "I don't think you should go to school tomorrow. I'll just tell Mom and Dad that you're sick."

"Annie?" I asked.

"Yeah, my Al?"

"Sorry I got you mad."

"You didn't get me mad," she assured me."

I shrugged.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" she asked. "I mean besides the effects from the horse radish?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I'm just gonna miss you, that's all."

"I know. I'm gonna miss you too. But they'll be IM and e-mail. And I'll come back home for the holidays. Why don't you try to get some sleep."

"You won't leave?" I asked.

"Nope," Annie replied. "I promise."

"Okay. Thanks."

"No problem," Annie said. "I love you, my Al."

"Love you too," I replied as I drifted off to sleep.

I woke up a short while later to the feeling of Annie stroking my hair. It felt nice, so I didn't move. I opened my eyes and made sure I was still in our room.

"Hey, my Al," Annie whispered softly when she saw I was awake.

"Hey," I said back. "How long was I asleep?"

"A few hours," she replied. "Are you hungry?"

"No," I answered, feeling the familiar tingle on my tongue, "I actually feel queasy."

"Okay. Do you think you can make it to the bathroom?"

"Uh-huh," I replied.

"Come on."

I allowed Annie to help me up and guide me to the bathroom.

While I hovered over the toilet, Annie closed the door and got in back of me.

After my stomach calmed down, Annie took my temperature and concluded I didn't have a fever.

"You're gonna be okay," she comforted, "let's get you back to bed. I'll get you a bucket and some water."

"I'm not thirsty," I tried, knowing it would do no good to argue with her.

"You have to try," Annie insisted.

I sighed as I waited for Annie to return with the supplies. She put the bucket on the nightstand in between our two beds and brought the cup of water to my lips. I took a few sips before getting comfortable underneath the blanket.

I felt someone else stroking my hair a few hours later. Thinking I was back in my own house, I started to panic until I heard Annie's familiar voice near me.

"She'll be okay," Annie was saying to whoever was there, "she just needs rest."

"Are you sure she doesn't need to go to the doctor?" a familiar female voice asked.

My eyes opened quickly at the person speaking and I sat up so fast, I felt sick.

"Annie!" I half said, half gasped.

"its okay, my Al, I'm right here," she assured me, "you're okay. Mom was just checking on you."

I gave her a look that spoke volumes and thankfully she understood.

She was at my side in a flash and sat down next to me.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

I didn't answer her verbally, but moved closer and gripped her hand for dear life.

Mrs. Mack looked on and gave me a concerned look.

Just then, Mr. Mack called her downstairs for the phone.

"I'll be right there!" she called back. "I'll be right back, girls. I hope you feel better, sweetheart. I love you."

I didn't answer partly because I didn't believe the words and partly because I didn't want to throw up all over Annie.

The minute Mrs. Mack left, Annie rounded on me.

"Okay, what in Paradise Valley was that all about?"

I swallowed hard before I could answer.

"Annie, I..I'm gonna…" I said, covering my mouth with my right hand.

Annie sprung into action immediately. She had the trash can underneath of my chin faster than I could have done with my powers.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" she asked once I was done.

"I tried, but then…" my voice trailed off as a few tears came and fell before I could stop them.

"Alex…" Annie said, taking pity on me, "come here."

I allowed her to pull me close, relishing in the safety I felt in her embrace.

"You're shaking," she observed, frowning in worry, "what's gotten you so scared? You always tell me everything."

I took a shaky breath before trying to come up with a good explanation.

Before I could say anything, the phone on our nightstand rang.

"Hello?" Annie asked once she had picked it up with one hand. "Hey Ray, what's up? Yeah, she's okay. Actually, I'm trying to calm her down right now. She's more than a little on edge. Did something happen at school today besides the horse radish incident?"

"No," Ray replied, "she seemed upset when Louis and I started talking about you leaving for college."

"Gotcha," Annie said. "Thanks. I'm gonna go and see if I can get anything out of her. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Good luck," Ray said.

"I don't need luck," Annie replied, smiling over at me, "Alex always tells me everything. Bye." With that, she hung up the phone.

'Not everything,' I thought as I tried to glance at anywhere but where Annie was sitting.


	3. Chapter 3

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TSWOAM. They belong to Ken Lipman. I do however own anyone you don't recognize.

God loves you!  
Enjoy!

A/N: Here's the next chapter! I Hope everyone likes it. Some of the following events as far as my home life went really happened, so please be kind.

"Annie to the Rescue"

Chapter 3

Alex's eyes opened slowly to the sun streaming into the bedroom window. As she opened them all the way, she started to panic almost immediately. She could feel herself starting to glow, but she didn't focus on that. She knew she was in the safety of her and Annie's room, so she didn't have to worry about their parents coming in.

Opening her eyes all the way, she tried her best to calm down. There was something definitely wrong and she didn't like it.

Pushing her feelings towards Annie's approaching departure to the back of her mind; she did the only thing she could think of.

"Annie!"

When her sister didn't immediately answer her, Alex figured she had taken a bathroom break or was already downstairs. Taking another deep breath, Alex sat up and pushed the covers back, all intentions of going to find Annie.

As she took another deep breath, she gazed around the room and gasped in surprise. This definitely wasn't her and Annie's room.

There was a dresser to the left and a nightstand to the right of the bed she was in. She could see a small tub sitting on the nightstand. She could also see a poster of Princess Ariel on the wall as well as a collage of pictures with an essay below it hanging on the bedroom door. The pictures were of a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a stethoscope around her neck in some of them and smiling. Alex recognized her as Kellie Martin and knew she played a doctor named Lucy on a show called "ER."

Glancing in front of her, Alex saw a TV on a stand with a VCR under Neath of it.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood up and made her way around the room once. Getting to the TV, she glanced down at the tapes sitting on top of the VCR. She gasped when she saw one of them had her name on it. Reaching out a shaky hand, she pulled one of them down. She was about to put it into the VCR, but stopped as the door to the bedroom opened. Expecting Annie or their parents to enter, she was surprised when a grey cat sauntered in. He looked friendly enough and walked straight up to her. Rubbing up against her legs, he started to purr.

Alex smiled, despite the fear she was feeling.

"Hi there," she greeted, "you're a friendly kitty, aren't you? You're definitely not GC. What's your name, huh? Do you know where Annie is?"

The cat meowed before rubbing against Alex's legs once again.

Just then, Alex heard a male voice call from somewhere else in the house.

"Simba! Tai, breakfast!"

The grey cat turned around and ran back out of the room.

"Who is that?" Alex wondered aloud. It certainly didn't sound like her father.

Deciding to get ready and try to find Annie, Alex set the video tape down and spotted a robe on the back of the door. Pulling it down, she grinned. The robe was pink with kittens all over it. Whoever's room this really was, she definitely had good taste.

Reaching her left hand out, Alex pulled open the door and crept out into the hallway. Seeing a room that looked like a bathroom out of the corner of her left eye, she went for it. Sighing with relief when she realized she had been right, she closed the door and turned on the light. Hearing a sound from behind her, she whirled around, hand over her heart to find a black and white cat lying on the toilet seat.

"You must be Tai," she guessed, smiling down at the feline, "I think your breakfast's waiting for you downstairs." She opened the door and waved her right hand in a shooing motion, "Go on."

Tai didn't move, but stared at Alex in a way that told her he knew more than she wanted him to.

"You know I'm not supposed to be here, don't you?" Alex guessed.

Tai meowed before sauntering out of the bathroom.

Shaking her head, Alex undressed and prepared to get into the shower.

Stepping in, she glanced around as best she could. She saw bottles of lotion in various forms on the sink as well as a toothbrush that looked electric sitting on the side of the sink. It was blue and had a picture of Ariel on it. Despite the fact that Alex was almost sixteen, she still had a fondness in her heart for Ariel.

Feeling a little bit better as the water hit her, Alex concentrated on getting washed while letting her thoughts wander a little bit. She still wasn't sure where she was or where Annie was for that matter, but the water helped her relax a little.

As she was washing off, she prayed she could find Annie soon.

Getting out of the shower ten minutes later, Alex dried off and went about the task of finding an outfit. As she rummaged through the dresser, she pulled out a pair of jeans and a light blue shirt. Putting the outfit on, Alex spotted a brush on the dresser top and brushed her hair out. She threw it into a ponytail and used a blue hair scrunchie to hold it in place. Gazing around the room as best she could with only her left eye to see out of, she found a pair of sneakers and put them on.

Going back to the bathroom, she brushed her teeth, using the Ariel toothbrush she had seen before. She hoped the person who really lived here wouldn't mind. Rinsing it off after she was done, she took a deep breath and headed downstairs.

Getting to the bottom, she rounded the corner and entered a living room before entering what she assumed was the dining room or kitchen. Simba was lounging by the window as was Tai.

"Hey you guys," Alex greeted, bending down to pet them in turn, "I wonder where…" her voice trailed off when she heard a male voice address her from behind. Only, he didn't use her name.

"Sadira, there you are."

Alex soon felt a kiss land on her head. She soon felt the same person pull her in for a hug. She turned around and hugged back, even though she didn't know this person at all. Taking a wild guess, she prayed she was right.

"Morning, Dad," she greeted. She was about to ask if he had seen Annie, but figured since this wasn't her father, there was a good chance he didn't know who Annie was.

"Morning," he replied, "Are you ready to eat breakfast?"

"Uh-huh," Alex said. She was hungry despite the brush with the flu she had experienced yesterday. Annie had concluded that it was probably from stress due to her news about leaving for school. Alex was beginning to think she had been right since she was feeling almost back to normal now-whatever that was.

"Do you want apple juice with your pancakes?" Sadira's father asked her.

"Sure," Alex agreed, "thanks."

"You're welcome," he replied.

Just then, Tai came over to Alex's chair. She bent down to pick him up and was surprised when he protested both verbally and physically. She let him go, not wanting to be scratched.

"Tai, what's gotten into you?" Sadira's father asked.

Tai meowed before going over to his food bowl.

Simba came over and jumped into Alex's lap.

"At least you're acting normal," Sadira's father muttered while finishing up making breakfast.

During breakfast, Alex managed to make small talk with Sadira's Dad. She ate two helpings of pancakes and two pieces of bacon before she started getting full.

"Thanks, Dad," she said, not wanting to be rude.

"You're welcome," he replied, "I'm going to be late tonight, so I'm going to leave dinner for you in the fridge. It's leftovers from last night."

"Okay," Alex said.

"Call me when you get home," he instructed.

"Okay," she said again.

"You can have Samantha over, but nobody else."

"I'll see what she's doing," Alex said, even though she had no idea who this Samantha person was. She guessed she was a friend of Sadira's.

After breakfast was over, Alex went back upstairs to get her things. She assumed since it was Friday, she would be going to school. She also had a feeling the day was about to get a lot more interesting.

Entering her room or Sadira's room, she looked around for any signs of a back pack or book bag. She found one by the dresser on the left and snatched it up. Spotting the small tub once again, Alex reached out and opened it. Inside were five or six books. Picking up the first one, she opened it to discover it was a journal. Thick black lines covered page after page. Seeing nothing in the first one, she put it back and tried the next one. Getting the same results, she tried the third one. Opening it up, her heart jumped into her throat when her eyes fell upon the first few sentences.

Dear Journal,

Hi, it's me, Alex. I can't believe what Annie did today! She not only tested me on the hottest day of the year, but she insisted I wear that stupid helmet while I'm sleeping! I love spending time with her and I'm going to miss her when she leaves, but I won't miss the testing. Oh well, maybe the electrical charge will give me an extra power boost or something. And even though I can't use it in the Olympics, I'm sure I can find other uses for it.

Flipping to the next page, Alex's eyes came upon another entry. This one started out the same way, but it was about something totally different.

Hugging the book to her chest, Alex tried to take a deep, calming breath. She could feel herself starting to glow and she couldn't afford to do that. How did this Sadira person know about her? How did she know about her powers? One thing was for sure, Alex was going to have to show this journal to Annie when she did find her.

"Sadira, it's time to go!" Sadira's father called from downstairs.

"I'm coming!" Alex called back. Putting the journal into the back pack, she slipped one of the empty ones in there as well. She needed a place to write her thoughts down about everything that was going on.

Getting downstairs, Alex said a quick good-bye to Simba and Tai and went to find Sadira's father.

"I'm ready," she announced.

Sadira's father nodded.

"Well your bus isn't coming for another forty-five minutes. You can do something down here until it comes. I love you, have a good day." With that, he kissed her cheek and left the house.

Deciding to read more of the journal, Alex sat down in a kitchen chair and took it out. Flipping to the page she had left off at, she began to read once again.

Dear Journal,

Hi, it's me, Alex again. Forget what I said about Annie two entries ago. I don't know what I would do without her. She really came through for me today. The cafeteria was serving a new dish and let's just say it didn't agree with me. I don't know what was in it, but my stomach didn't like it one bit. Anyway, after I told Ray what was going on, he called Annie and she came to get me. It was a good thing her driving is improving and it was our free period. She signed me out like Mom and Dad would have. Boy was I happy to see her when she came into the bathroom to get me. She had to come in there because I was feeling too weak to move and my powers were going haywire. When we got home, she put me to bed and we watched "Mary Poppins" together after she got me settled. She did test my powers a little bit later, but I know she did it because she was worried about me. When she realized using them was making me feel worse, she told me to stop right away and let me rest. She even made an excuse to our parents so I could stay in bed and eat soup there. I hope I can help her like that one day. She really is the best. I'm really going to miss her when she leaves for…

Alex's heart was racing now. She couldn't understand how this Sadira person knew about the food poisoning incident in seventh grade. Trying to calm down, she took a deep breath. She was about to flip to another page when she heard a horn honking outside. Putting the journal in Sadira's back pack, she glanced out the window and sighed when she realized it wasn't the bus.

Entering the living room, Alex sat in a chair and turned on the TV. She found the Disney Channel fairly quickly and started watching an episode of "Adventures in Wonderland." She found the show a lot of fun to watch and she enjoyed the music-especially the Tweedles raps and some of Alice's solo songs. As the Hatter started singing about Synonym buns, Alex let her mind and eye wander. Seeing a tape recorder on the floor, she decided to investigate a little.

Letting the episode continue to play in the background, Alex went over to the tape recorder and pressed play. A minute after she did, she heard a few people acting out a story.

"Sabrina, I told you that wasn't a good idea," someone with a British accent stated, "are you hurt?"

"I'm fine!" Another girl insisted.

"If you're fine," a male voice stated, a bit sarcastically, "then I'm king of the world. And we both know that's not gonna happen any time soon-especially if the witch's council has any say in it."

"I'm telling you, I'm fine," the girl named Sabrina or playing her insisted.

"I'm gonna get Cindi," the British girl informed her.

"Gwen, no!" Sabrina protested, "I told you, I'm…maybe I'm not so…"

"Sabrina! Salem, stay with her," Gwen ordered, "I'll be right back."

"Righto," Salem replied.

Alex was really getting into this story. She recognized the characters as ones from a show called "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." She had seen a few episodes and liked Aunt Hilda a lot. She wondered if she was gonna be in this story.

She listened to a little bit more before pressing stop. She would listen to the rest when she got home. She was about to get up when another tape lying by the recorder caught her eye. Squinting to see the label with only one eye, Alex gasped. "Alex Mack story."

With trembling hands, Alex picked the tape up and switched it out for the one in the player. She was about to slip the tape into the recorder when she heard another horn honk. Glancing outside, Alex saw that this time it was the school bus.

Grabbing the tape, Alex slipped it into the bag before making a mad dash for the door. She only hoped Sadira kept a tape player in her bag with headphones.

It was only when she reached the bus did she remember she had left the TV on.

'Oh well,' she thought to herself, 'Simba and Tai can watch it.'

Taking a seat near the front, she tried to smile as the bus driver turned around to greet her.

"Hi, Sadira, how are you?"  
"Good," Alex replied.

"You left something on the bus yesterday," the bus driver informed her. With that, she handed her a stick bound with elastic.

Alex knew what this was right away. She had seen a few blind people who lived in Paradise Valley use one. Taking the cane in her hands, she set it beside her back pack.

"Thanks," she replied.

"No problem," the bus driver smiled. "Go ahead and listen to your music or read. It'll be awhile until we get to school."

Alex nodded. She opened the back pack and dug her hand inside. She was surprised, but relieved to find a tape recorder in there! Cheering inside, Alex rummaged around a little bit more and found a pair of headphones.

Carefully removing both objects from the bag, she looked to see if there was anything in the recorder. Once she was sure it was empty, she put the tape she had found inside and stuck the headphones in. Taking a deep breath, she pressed play.

For a second, there was silence, but then Alex heard the beginning of what she guessed was another story. Since the tape was named Alex Mack story, she knew the story would be about her. As the tape started, she gasped as the story began.

"Ray, what's going on?" A person who sounded a lot like Annie asked.

"It's Al," the person playing Ray replied.

"I'll go and check on her," the person playing Annie told him, "you keep the boat going. Alex, what's the matter?"

"Annie, I feel dizzy, my powers are acting strange too. Do you think it's the medicine Mom gave me before we came out here?"

"It might be," Annie replied, "do you still feel like you're gonna throw up?"

"A little. Annie, I'm scared!"

"I'm gonna help you," Annie assured her, "we need to get some fluids into you before you become dehydrated. Do you think you can drink some water for me?"

"I…I don't know. I can try."

"Trying is good," Annie encouraged.

Continuing to listen, Alex soon felt wetness on her cheeks. She raised a hand to her face and was surprised to find tears there. She wiped them away and focused back on the story. She wasn't even aware that she had started crying. She guessed since the person playing her sister on the tape sounded so much like her, it made her Miss Annie all the more. Come to think of it, the person who played her sounded a lot like her too. What was going on here?


	4. Chapter 4

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the chars from TSWOAM. They belong to Ken Lipman. I do however own anyone you don't recognize.

God loves you!  
Enjoy!

A/N: Here we go with chapter 4! I Hope everyone likes it. Like I said before, some of the following events as far as my home life went really happened, so please be kind.

"Annie to the Rescue"

Chapter 4

All of a sudden, the story stopped right after Annie had given Alex an antidote for whatever was going on. It was quickly followed by a set of songs. The first one Alex recognized from "Adventures in Wonderland." There were a few more AIW songs that followed the first one. Then came "Part of Your World" from the Little Mermaid. It was quickly followed by a song sung by a little girl in a different language.

Alex liked this song and found herself rewinding it twice more after it had played the first time.

About a half an hour later, they arrived at school.

Glancing up, Alex was half expecting to see Danielle ATron Junior High loaming in front of her with its familiar walk way and lawns. She frowned when another school altogether stood in its place.

Putting the tape recorder and tape back into the bag, Alex slung it over her shoulder and unfolded the cane. She had never used one before, but she was a fast learner.

"Have a good day, honey," the bus driver called.

"Thanks! You too!" Alex called back.

Walking up to the building, Alex went inside and tried to figure out her way around. She didn't even know where Sadira's first class was.

'Well," she thought as she glanced around with the sight she had, 'let the games begin. At least I don't have to worry about Vince looking for me here.'

Alex was jolted out of her thoughts by someone calling Sadira's name.

"Sadira! Hey, Sadira!"

Whirling around, Alex found herself face to face with a girl a year or two younger than herself. She had brown hair and brown eyes and her skin was the same color as Nicole's. But Alex could tell this wasn't Nicole.

"Hey," Alex greeted, smiling at her, "what's up?"  
"We're gonna be late for English," the girl replied, "That's what's up. Come on. I know you just got back from being sick, but you still don't want to be late." With that ,she took Alex's hand and led her down the hallway.

"I'm fine to follow you," Alex said, slipping her hand out of the girl's grip and walking beside her while using the cane.

"So did you get that story done?" She asked.

"What story?" Alex raised her eyebrows.

Before the girl could answer, someone else called out to them.

"Hey Sadira! Hey, Adrian."

Alex silently thanked God for the save. Now at least she knew what this girl's name was.

"Hey, Faith!" Adrian echoed.

"Hey Faith!" Alex called back. Once they were walking again, she repeated her question, "What story are you talking about?"

"The Alex Mack story you were working on," Adrian replied, "you were really excited about it. You said you were at the part where Alex finds out that Danielle and Vince rigged the cruise to try and find her."

Alex gasped before she could stop herself. So that was the story she had heard on Sadira's tape recorder. And if that was the case, then that meant Sadira was the one acting them out. As unnerving as this fact was, Alex had to hand it to her. She was a great actress. She had her and Annie's relationship down to a T as well as how they sounded. Alex also had a feeling that Sadira used her actual voice whenever she played her and changed it to match Annie's.

"I'm still working on it," Alex replied.

"Can I read it once it's done?" Adrian asked.

"Sure," Alex agreed.

"Are you finished the Sabrina one yet? I really wanna read that one."

"Almost," Alex replied. She guessed that Sadira had acted out the Sabrina one too. Again, she had to hand it to her as far as her acting ability went. Her British accent was right on.

They had reached the classroom by this point and went inside. Alex took a seat next to Adrian and got out a binder and a pen. Now that she knew Sadira was the one acting out the stories and writing them, the only thing left to figure out was why?

********

Before Alex knew it, she was sitting at a lunch table in the cafeteria with Adrian, Faith and a girl named Ariel. She liked Faith and Adrian a lot, but she was still trying to figure Ariel out.

"Are your parents still fighting?" Adrian asked.

It took Alex a minute to realize she was talking to her.

"No," Alex replied, "not that I know of."

"You were pretty upset on Wednesday," Adrian informed her, "you said you were tired of your mother breaking her promises to you. I would be pretty upset as well if it were me."

Alex frowned in concern this time more so than confusion. If what Adrian said was true, she felt bad for Sadira. She knew she wouldn't like it if her parents were arguing and one of them was breaking promises to her. To make matters worse, Sadira didn't appear to have any siblings to help her when things got really bad. Alex found herself thanking God for Annie.

"Now wonder you wish you were Alex so much," Adrian said sympathetically, "if you were, you would have Annie to help you."

Alex nodded. Suddenly, she didn't feel so suspicious of Sadira's motives for writing stories about her and Annie. She probably did it as a way of seeing what it would be like to have an older sister and not be so alone.

"It has to be hard," Adrian commented.

"Yeah, it is," Alex replied, not knowing what else to say.

Once lunch was over, Alex, along with Adrian and Faith went to Science while Ariel went to English.

Alex was momentarily surprised when the teacher called on her to answer a medical question. Alex was never really good at science. That was Annie's specialty. As she began to panic, she had an idea. If she was Sadira for a while, maybe she could tap into her mind somehow.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to clear her mind and prayed it worked.

"Sadira, do you know the answer?" The teacher asked.

Alex thought for a second and was surprised when she came up with it!

"The gull blatter," she replied with surprising confidence.

"That's right. Good job. Watching "ER" has really helped your science skills." With that, she moved onto another student.

Alex grinned. She was beginning to understand why Sadira had such a strong connection with Annie. Then again, Sadira's interest in medicine might be from wanting to help people. After all, when Alex had been listening to both stories Sadira had acted out, she had gotten Annie's love for Alex down to a T. Alex knew that couldn't be acted totally and it made her feel better knowing Sadira was a caring person.

Science flew by quickly as did math and computer class.

Before Alex knew it, it was the end of the day and she was getting on the school bus to head back to Sadira's house.

On the way back to the house, Alex listened to the rest of the story about the cruise. She found herself enjoying it more now that she understood Sadira's reasons for writing it. She started feeling guilty for her earlier suspicions now that she had learned a little about Sadira's life from Adrian and Faith.

Arriving back at the house, Alex let herself in with the key she had found in Sadira's back pack. Once inside, she greeted Simba and Tai before going to the kitchen and making herself a snack. She found some pretzel sticks in a cabinet near the fridge and poured herself some juice. Taking the snack into the living room, she set it on a table before sitting down. Noticing that "Adventures in Wonderland" was on again, she let herself get lost in the episode. It wasn't until the episode was over did she remember she hadn't called Sadira's father. Picking up the phone, Alex realized she had a problem. She didn't know his number. Getting an idea, she hit redial and prayed it worked.

It wasn't long before Sadira's father picked up on his end.

"Hello?"  
"Hey, Dad, I'm home," Alex told him, feeling awkward calling him 'Dad since he wasn't her Dad.

"Good. What are you up to?"

"Watching a little TV and eating a snack."

"Do you have any homework?" he inquired.

"Just a story to write for English. I was gonna start it in a few minutes."

"Okay. I'll see you around nine. I love you."  
"See ya then," Alex said before hanging up. As she focused on the episode of "The Little Mermaid" TV Series, she let her thoughts wander once again. Even though she understood the reason behind Sadira writing stories about her, she still didn't know how she had found out about her in the first place.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Simba jumped into her lap.

"Hey, buddy," Alex cooed, scratching him behind the ears, "did you have a good day?"

Simba started purring in response and meowed once before settling in her lap.

Gazing around the room, Alex sighed when she didn't find any pictures of Sadira's parents together. She guessed they were divorced and Sadira's mother lived somewhere else.

Glancing down at the back pack laying at her feet, Alex opened it and took the tape recorder out of it. Remembering the one by the wall, she went over to it and slipped the tape from that morning back into it. Pressing play, she listened to a little more of the Sabrina story.

"Cuz, you're gonna be okay," a woman Alex guessed was Cindi assured the teenager, "I'm gonna take care of you. We need to talk once we get back there."

"Do we have to?" Sabrina asked. Her resigned tone made Alex giggle. It reminded her of the many times she had asked Annie that same question in regards to testing her powers.

"What do you think?" Cindi retorted. She spoke again a minute later, "I see Sara already started a witchavive. Did she put anything in it?"

"No," Sabrina replied before swallowing hard.

Alex guessed that Cindi was a doctor of some kind and that Sabrina was in the hospital. She also figured a witchavive was a magical equivalent to an IV.

"Will she be in there?" Sabrina asked.

"Uh-huh. So will Arielle and Lucy."

Alex listened for a few more minutes before turning the recorder off and taking it, along with the back pack upstairs. She turned the TV off before ascending the stairs.

Entering the room, she put the things down on Sadira's bed and flipped on the TV. She started watching a show called "The Journey of Allen Strange" while flipping through the journal she had been reading earlier.

She was soon joined by Simba. He jumped onto the bed and curled up next to her.

Getting an idea, Alex started reading aloud. She smiled as Simba started to purr. As she continued reading, she had a feeling Annie was back at home in Paradise Valley. She couldn't wait to see her again if that was the case. It was then that she realized something. She could still communicate with her sister. She was about to try it when the phone on the dresser rang. She jumped at the noise, but quickly snatched it up on the second ring.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hey," a woman's voice greeted her, "how was your day?"

Alex's mind raced as she tried to figure out who this person was. Something told her it was Sadira's mother, but she couldn't be sure. Taking a chance, she answered the question truthfully.

"Good. How was yours?"

"It was okay," the woman replied, "did Daddy say anything about…" as Alex listened to the woman talk, she started feeling angry. She didn't know the answer to the next question and she wouldn't have told her even if she did know. "He didn't say anything to me," she finally answered, So what are you doing this weekend?"

"That's why I called," Sadira's mother started, "I can't make it this weekend. Can we do it another weekend instead?"  
Alex frowned as a feeling of disappointment came over her. She wasn't expecting it and it made her glow a little with apprehension. Was this how Sadira felt every time her mother broke a promise to her?

"Sure, " Alex said halfheartedly, "listen, I have to go. I'll talk to you later." And before Sadira's mother could say anything else, Alex hung up. The minute she did, she had to fight hard not to start crying. She suddenly found herself needing a hug from Annie. But Annie wasn't there.

'At least she'll be there when you go home again," a voice in her head reminded her.

She sighed. She knew her inner thoughts were telling her the truth. She would have Annie's arms to go back to once she figured out a way to go back home.

Despite this reassurance, Alex could feel a few tears course down her cheeks.

"Annie, I wish you were here now. I really miss you and I could sure use your help."

Forcing herself to calm down, Alex sat back down on the bed and was immediately pounced on by a grey fur ball. Simba licked her cheeks, making her giggle. He was definitely a sweetheart.

As she started feeling better, Alex wondered if she would meet Sadira's mother while she was here. A part of her hoped not. But another part was a little curious to find out more about her. Maybe she could help her treat Sadira better. Only time would tell.

As she lay down for bed somewhere around nine, Alex prayed for Sadira as well as Annie.

"I love you, Annie," she whispered, "I hope I can find my way back home soon." With that, Alex fell asleep to the sound of the crickets outside and Simba purring beside her.


End file.
